Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-03-18
WHERE CRIME STALKS
ABROAD WRAPPED IN HIS BLOODY NANrEL
FREE AS AIR.
LawlsssneSs in South CarOlina-Tnal Of the Cul-
breath Lynehsrs Again POstPonsd-Ths
Bloody History Of Hgefsld County
-COmmenS of The Press.

CHARLESTON, S. C., March 1.-THE re-
cent trial OF Jones for the murder of the
three unoffending Pressleys, the recent ae-
quittal of Zimmerman for killing unoi-
Tending negroes and the postpOnement OF
the case against the lynchers of Culbreath
have resulted in 4 feeling of insecurity
throughout this part of the State.
Where human life is held of no valne
and the law cannot be administered there
can be no real prosperity.
Mr.. John o. Moroso, of the Nees and
Courier staff, and of the best known of
Southern newspaper men, to-day says:
"Edgefeld has been under Democratic
rule Tor ten years, but Edgefeld has man
aged, in spite of good government, to keep
up its reputation. / am told that some
thing over century ago an old newspaper,
published somewhere in the State, used to
keep standing as one of its headlines for
news items Another Murder in Edgefield'
1t does seem that the newspapers of to-day
could save composition by following the
example of the old Gazette The Edgefield
of to-day, as far as material prosperity is
concerned, is far behind even the Edge
field of sixty years ago. Fire and blood
have done their work"
docs not all this lawlessness retard the
growth of the county,"
RAvAGEs By FIRE.
Look at the village itself. Situated on
a site which is fair TO look upon, intended
by nature rs the spot for n thriving, pro-
gressive, go-ahead, prosperous county seat,
surrounded by the richest and most fertile
lands in the State, peopled by women as
pure and as fair and rs bright as those of
any other portion of the land, and by men
as brave and intelligent and as daring as
can be found elswhere, possessing every
advantage of soil, climate and situation
that a county seat could desire, the village
of Edgeiield to-day is far behind the age as
it was fifteen years ago. No railroad leads
to it's doors, no factories hum there; the
busy haunts of trade are not there; the
telegraph is at q distance, and ruin and
desOlation seem to brood over the land.
The waste places are still marked by
ruined chimneys and heaps of ashes; no
new buildings are so be seen going up on
the track of the fires that have rayaged the
place. Everything looks dull, shiitless
and dispirited."
The disgust at the result of the cases
against the lynchers is intense A promin-
ent merchant to-day said that he would
not take his family to live in Edgefield if
they would give him fine house and q
thousand-acre farm. Life, he said, was
worth more than property. The press of
the State is unanimous in commencing
Attorney General Earl for his vigorous at
tcmpts to bring the lynchers to justice.
SERIOUS AND sATIRICAL COMMENTS.
The Winnsboro Nelrs and Herald, in
commenting on the lynchers, says: They
have forfeited all claims to respectability,
and as they have murdered without mercy,
they are entitled to no clemency. The
blood of the murdered Culbreath still cries
in vain from the barren sands OF Edgefield
county, and his piteOus cries for mercy still
ring in the ears of world that has some
attachment left for the principle Of justice.
In the name of thousands of citizens Of this
tegrity of the Judiciary and the supremacy
OF the law, we demand the trial of these
men and the conviction of such of them as
are guilty and their prompt and speedy ex-
ecution."
The NerS and Courier satirically says
THE strong arm of the law is making it.
self felt in Edgaiield county. On Monday
last eight men were sent 10 the peniten
tiary from that county for terms ranging
from one to five years, for crimes Of the
most heinous character. Two men who
had stolen some live stock were sentenced
to one and two years respectively. while
upon four deep-dyed villains who had
broken into gin house and stolen Il guam
tity of seed cotton, the trip-hammer Ofjus-
tice fell with crushing force, each OF the
four miserable wretches being condemned
TO three years Of penal seTvitude. Another
misCreant who was convicted OF stealing
was sentenced to two years at hard labor
in the State prison, while in the case of
still another criminal the vengeance Of the
law was satisfied by the imposition of n
sentence of five years in the penitentiary.
All this goes TO show that it is not safe TO
steal live stock, commit grand larceny or
break open gin houses in Edgefeld county.
The men who were convicted were cOlored;
but it is clear that there was no discrimina-
ton in their favor on account Of color.
The law does not take cognizance of the
complexion of criminal, and must be sat
isiied, let the consequences fall where they
may. The lynchers themselves claim to
believe that they are greatly outraged by
being dragged from their homes so often
and at 80 great expense to stand trial.
They speak bitterly and even threateningly
of the officers of the law who arc trying to
wipe out the disgrace that now hangs over
Edgefeld cOugty'
Three Little Murderers.
CHARLESTON, 8. c., March l7.-Wm. B.